Kings lead division with OT win over Capitals

[March 10, 2016]  LOS ANGELES -- If Wednesday's game between the Washington Capitals and the Los Angeles Kings is a preview of the Stanley Cup Final, the potential matchup could be the most entertaining series in recent memory. After surrendering a big third period lead, the Kings used some overtime magic to triumph.

Jeff Carter scored the game-winning goal at 2:50 of overtime as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Wednesday.

Los Angeles (40-22-4) has won two straight, seven of its last nine games and lead the division by one point over the Anaheim Ducks with 15 games remaining in the regular season. The win extended the Los Angeles' record in the extra session to 12-4-0.

Washington (49-13-5) had a two-game winning streak snapped but maintained its 18-point lead in the Metropolitan Division.

Carter took a cross-ice feed from Milan Lucic and beat Washington goalie Braden Holtby over his pad with a wrist shot for the game winner. The right winger stressed the importance of the Kings staying on track to win their first Pacific Division title in team history.

"We want to get home ice," Carter said. "We seen the last few times we've been in the playoffs how big game sevens are. When you have it at home it's a big advantage."

Kings coach Darryl Sutter reinforced the importance of the win in the tightly contested Pacific Division with just four points separating the Kings, Ducks and the San Jose Sharks.

"We went back into first place tonight. That's huge for us," Sutter said. "We're trying to be a playoff team; with sixteen games left we're fighting with the team that was supposed to have won it easy."

Washington comes down the stretch of the regular season with none of the stress Los Angeles is experiencing by virtue of a huge divisional lead but head coach Barry Trotz said his team learned something despite the loss.

"The LA are not going to let you come into their building and have an easy game," Trotz said. "Maybe down the road we can run into each other again. It'll be a good reminder for us."

Capitals center Mike Richards, who received a warm welcome in his first game back after departing in the offseason, focused the one area where the team needs to improve.

"We're not great starters," Richards said. "I guess we're good closers but we have to correct that."

The Capitals completed a three-goal third-period comeback with defenseman Dmitri Orlov's eighth goal of the season at 16:38 of the final period. Orlov took advantage of a retreating Los Angeles defenseman to move down the slot unchallenged to tie the game.

Washington narrowed the score to 3-2 on Nicklas Backstrom's 19th goal of the season at 11:02 of the third period. Backstrom cashed in a goalmouth pass from Alexander Ovechkin after he was stopped by Quick at short range.

After a scoreless second period, Capitals right winger T.J. Oshie narrowed the score to 3-1 with his 20th goal of the season on the power play at 1:46 of the third period. Oshie controlled a rebound off a goalmouth scramble and fired a wrist shot past a prone Quick.

The Kings took a commanding 3-0 lead on two goals in a space of 1 minute, 21 seconds midway through the first period.

Jake Muzzin's eighth goal of the season at 12:05 put Los Angeles up 2-0 on a wrist shot that cleanly beat Holtby. Lucic's 16th came on a feed by Carter at 13:26, making it a three-goal advantage.

Both goals were scored off odd-man rushes after Washington penetrated deep into the Los Angeles offensive zone.

Los Angeles opened the scoring on Vincent Lecavalier's seventh goal of the season on the power play at 4:52 of the first period. Lecavalier was the final player to touch a shot from the point by Alec Martinez that deflected off both Tanner Pearson and Washington defenseman Brooks Orpik before the puck slid past Holtby.

NOTES: Washington scratched C Michael Latta, RW Stanislav Galiev and D Nate Schmidt. ... Capitals RW Justin Williams and C Mike Richards made their first appearance at Staples Center after leaving the Kings in the offseason. Both were integral parts of the Kings two Stanley Cup championships and were featured in separate video tributes in the first period. ... The Capitals are the only team in the NHL without two consecutive regulation losses this season. Washington has posted a 12-0-1 record this season following a regulation loss and has outscored opponents 47-23 in those games. ... Los Angeles did not dress D Jamie McBain and C Andy Andreoff. ... Wednesday marked the start of the most difficult stretch of games this season for the Kings, facing seven playoff qualifiers in their next eight games, including back-to-back road games against Chicago and Dallas, then Nashville and Minnesota.

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